Poppy Seed Yeast Rolls

Poppy Seed Yeast Rolls are light and airy poppy seed dinner rolls with a touch of sweetness. Try them as slider buns with ham and swiss cheese.

Directions for using a bread machine to mix and knead the dough are included. No bread machine? See recipe notes for alternative directions.

WARNING: Do not eat these the day before taking a drug test. It’s true. Eating poppy seeds can result in a positive reading. Check it out on Snopes.com.

But if you aren’t applying for a new job or on furlough from federal prison, I heartily encourage you to introduce yourself to these wonderful little yeast rolls.

Add these Poppy Seed Yeast Rolls to your repertoire if you like poppy seed cake, muffins, or bagels. Try them spread with lemon curd or preserves.

Take the savory route and make hot ham and cheese sliders. Perfect for a party. Whip up these rolls for Easter dinner, and then later, make sandwiches using leftover Easter ham and some honey or Dijon mustard.

You don’t have to have a bread machine to make these but it’s easier if you do. Dump all ingredients in pan and set on the dough cycle. Wait till the dough has risen to double.

Next, remove the dough from the pan, form into rolls and let rise again until double. Bake in a conventional oven. Voila! You have just made yeast rolls you’ll have to tie down to keep from floating off like a cloud.

Instructions

Place ingredients in order listed into bread machine. Set for dough cycle. After machine has run about 7 minutes, open the lid and check the dough. If too dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time. If too wet, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. When cycle is finished remove from pan to floured board. (If you are a novice bread machine user, check out the mini-tutorial on this post)

Divide dough in half. Cut each half into 8 pieces or 16 according to your preference. Form into balls. See video for an explanation how to form dough into balls. Place in 2 8-inch round or square pans sprayed with vegetable oil.

Cover pans and allow to rise until double in a warm place. May take from 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 11-14 minutes until brown.

Let rolls sit on counter for about 5 minutes. Then turn out onto a towel or plate. Flip upright onto serving plate or tear apart and pile into serving basket.

Notes

Directions for making bread with a stand mixer or by hand:

To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer, add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Turn on low to mix until all ingredients are moistened. Using dough hook, turn speed to 2 or 3 and continue beating/kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place. Deflate dough gently and shape rolls as indicated in recipe.

If making by hand, combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl. Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead with your hands until dough becomes smooth and elastic, a process that will likely take 10-20 minutes depending on your experience. Place dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double. Deflate dough gently and shape rolls as indicated in recipe

Please note: If you substitute regular yeast for instant or bread machine yeast, you must dissolve it first before adding to the dry ingredients. Stir it into about 1/4 cup of the lukewarm liquid called for in the recipe. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Add to other wet ingredients and then add dry ingredients. Proceed as directed to knead and shape rolls.

Hi Mimi, You can definitely bake this bread in an oven. I always do that, even though I use a bread machine to mix and knead it. I added specific instructions for people who don’t have a bread machine in the notes of the recipe.

You can use vanilla extract only. However, the vanilla butternut is easy to find at Walmart or you can order it online. It really makes these rolls special.

Omg, I just made these and they are amazing!! I have made some great bread, but I only tried dinner rolls once (when I was very much a novice), and this is the texture that I have dreamed of achieving. Thank you so much for sharing! I am going to use the basic version of this dinner roll recipe for Christmas. Yuuuuum!!!

Just want to say that these turned out amazingly well! Everyone enjoyed them at the afternoon tea. I liked them so much I’m going to do them again for a church event in two weeks time and I’ll probably use this loaf version of this at some point too. They worked fine without the butter extract in the end, thanks for the recipe and the advise.

Ian, I used 2 8-inch square pans that are 2 inches deep. You could also use round pans. I would replace the butter/vanilla nut extract with just vanilla extract, not butter. That extract gives a very specific flavor and also a bit of yellow color. They won’t be quite the same without it but they will still be fabulous. pr

Hmmmm, I’ve become addicted to chia seeds and wonder if they could be substituted for the poppy seeds? My concern is that chia seeds absorb moisture around themselves and might need to add more liquid?

Too bad I have sworn off bread for a while. Guess I will just have to quit reading your blog so I won’t be tempted. These rolls look delicious, and I love poppy seed. What do I have to do to resubscripe for the e-mail notifications?

I was fired from a job because of cocaine use. I kept telling them it was a Lemon Poppyseed Cream Cheese pound cake. Honest. Paula, these rolls, and bread loaf and ….. wow, very impressive. They look like they belong in a book. Were you not a professional chef in this previous life (I think you were). I love these…. copying the recipe!